Isn't the main purpose of sidewalks to provide pedestrians with a certain kind of safety by keeping them off the roads and out of danger? But how safe is it to stroll over cracked tiles during your afternoon walk? Obviously, there are lots of opportunities in Buenos Aires to break your legs, ankles or worse. Many of the cracked sidewalks and broken curbs were patched recently but I guess you will need several more stimulus packages to fix all of them. Be the potholes on the sidewalks ever so bad, the streets seem to be in a better condition. At least in the city center the main streets are fine. You lucky car drivers!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Buenos Aires, City of Sidewalk Potholes
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11 comments:
There seems to be a need here for some thinking. ;-) Is the city made for pedestrians or for cars and trucks? Hmmm.
Looks like BA and Bucharest have a lot in common. We also have sidewalks full of potholes and a city hall that caters solely for the car drivers. If you prefer to be a pedestrian in my city, you're either somebody who can't afford a car or a weirdo and in both cases you can be ignored.
I think this is an unusual situation. In fact, I don't think I've seen a place where the streets were in better shape than the sidewalks. Perhaps it is easier to repave the street than it is to retile the sidewalks.
Dangerous? Yes. Especially for us old folks.
"How did you break your hip, Jacob?"
"Well, doc, I was just strolling along the sidewalk in Buenos Aires and happened to look up for a second I stepped in this big hole."
Sheesh! ;-)
I tell you what, some of our sidewalks are just as bad. I just have to look at that and I feel myself falling down or turning my ankle.
It looks like Minnesota after a long winter of freeze and thaw conditions.
happen, but is dangerous for citoyens!
Your post today made me smile. The broken and crumbling sidewalks were very obvious when I visited there. That and that nest of power wires running in all directions between the buildings. Just patching all those broken tiles would be a very costly project.
Your point is well stated and documented. It IS amazing and disheartening to see the poor condition of the sidewalk against the much better maintained street. It does look rather dangerous. Good shot. (Are tile sidewalks very common in Buenos Aries?)
It makes the city look lived in!
@Frank
Yes, those tile sidewalks are pretty common in Buenos Aires. The tiles vary in style, size, and color. That makes the sidewalks pretty unique.
I noticed that the sidewalks seemed to be more maintained in front of the bigger businesses like malls and hotels. I wonder if fixing the sidewalk outside of the building is left to the adjacent property owners. Just a thought.
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